Google says some out-of-area Local Services Ads are working as intended

What changed

Len Raleigh flagged Local Services Ads showing firms that appeared to be outside the searcher’s area. Google’s Ads Liaison replied that the examples were working as intended because those firms served customers in the searched area who were looking for that legal service.

Scope of Google’s clarification

The reply addresses the reported examples. It does not establish that every apparent location mismatch is correct, nor does it provide a complete specification for Local Services Ads targeting. The central distinction is between the location of a firm and the area in which it genuinely serves customers.

A business address outside the searched location can therefore coexist with relevant service-area coverage. Conversely, the reply does not show that an advertiser serving one nearby area should appear in every surrounding location.

Test serviceability, not distance alone

Advertisers should compare configured service areas with the locations from which enquiries actually arrive. The review should consider whether the business can genuinely provide the relevant service there, rather than using the office address as the sole test of relevance.

Editorial suggestion: classify recent leads into three groups: within a configured and serviceable area, outside the office area but still serviceable, and genuinely outside operational coverage. Compare those groups with campaign settings and lead quality. This makes it possible to distinguish a legitimate service-area model from a suspected targeting anomaly.

For legal-service searches, preserve the service sought as well as the location. Google’s reply tied relevance to firms serving customers in the searched area for that legal service; it did not make a general statement about every Local Services Ads category.

Evidence for escalation

Before escalating a mismatch, retain the query, displayed advertiser, searcher location signals where known, stated service area and reason the enquiry could not be served. Separate that evidence from cases where only the office address looks distant.

A pattern of genuinely unserviceable enquiries is more informative than one result viewed without location context. The Liaison’s response should remain a clarification of the cited examples, not a blanket answer to all targeting complaints.

Why it matters for advertisers

Office location alone does not determine whether a Local Services Ad is relevant. Comparing configured service areas with genuine serviceability and enquiry patterns offers a stronger basis for identifying possible mismatches.